


We Are Broken

by citrinesunset



Category: Torchwood
Genre: BDSM, Dom/sub, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-05
Updated: 2010-01-04
Packaged: 2017-10-05 19:40:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/45373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/citrinesunset/pseuds/citrinesunset
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ianto wants to be Jack's submissive. Jack is looking for some control. They commit to a month, and let it go from there. If only it were that simple.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've written this for [](http://community.livejournal.com/kink_bigbang/profile)[**kink_bigbang**](http://community.livejournal.com/kink_bigbang/). Many thanks go to [](http://verasteine.livejournal.com/profile)[**verasteine**](http://verasteine.livejournal.com/) and [](http://kahtyasofia.livejournal.com/profile)[**kahtyasofia**](http://kahtyasofia.livejournal.com/), who were awesome betas. I'm not sure if I would have been able to finish this fic if not for their time, patience, and perceptive input. If the fic doesn't live up to their advice, it's due only to my own limitations. Also, huge thanks to [](http://deadflowers5.livejournal.com/profile)[**deadflowers5**](http://deadflowers5.livejournal.com/), who made all the artwork for the fic, which can be seen on my LJ.

  
  
  
**Entry tags:**|   
[fic](http://missdeanna.livejournal.com/tag/fic), [jack/ianto](http://missdeanna.livejournal.com/tag/jack/ianto), [kink](http://missdeanna.livejournal.com/tag/kink), [torchwood](http://missdeanna.livejournal.com/tag/torchwood)  
  
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Jack wasn't sure how long Ianto had gotten off on serving him, but it wasn't a huge surprise when Ianto finally told him.

They were naked in Jack's bed, and Ianto had his arm over his eyes.

"You know," Jack said, smiling, "it takes a lot to surprise me. Last time someone told me they had a weird kink and asked me not to freak out, it turned out the guy wanted to shave my head. I mean, really, my hair? Way too nice to shave off. Of course, I did do it."

Ianto laughed and uncovered his eyes. "But it's odd. You have to admit."

Jack shrugged. He let his smile relax. "Maybe. Probably. Not as much as you think. Besides, who cares if it is?"

Ianto propped himself up against the pillows. The sheet fell down his chest, exposing his hard nipples. "You're not bothered, then? Because I'd hate to drive you off at this point."

"Of course not," Jack said. If Jack were the sort that was easily scared off, it would have happened when Ianto used a stopwatch as a pickup line. Why would he be upset? It was an honor to know that Ianto wanted to serve him.

"It's not just sex," Ianto explained, "I mean, that's certainly part of it. It's just nice, doing things for you, having you in charge." Ianto's voice was uneven, and he looked more resigned than relieved, as though he'd only just realized that confessing was just the first step. Explaining was a whole new challenge.

That didn't matter, because Jack thought it made sense, anyway. Jack had never really believed that everything Ianto did for him was part of _work_. He wasn't paying Ianto to shine his boots and press his shirts.

He nudged Ianto's arm. "You don't need me to be in charge to do that, though. You already spoil me."

Ianto rolled his eyes. "Obviously. But if all you're going to do is tell me it's not necessary, then that's like…going into Tesco's and putting the shelves in order when you don't work there."

Jack smiled, but it was apologetic, and regretful.

"Might not work too well though, would it?" he said.

Ianto frowned. "Why not?"

"It's one thing to play at it. What you're talking about can be harder to pull off."

It wasn't that Jack lacked interest. There was something about power that aroused him—both the giving and taking of it. He would have liked to cultivate that in Ianto.

Maybe that was the problem—he knew that dominating someone took time and responsibility, and he couldn't afford either right now. Not at this time in his life, and not with the Doctor coming. Jack didn't want to own a house right now, let alone a person.

Ianto shouldn't even have wanted it. It hadn't been that long since he told Jack he would watch him suffer and die.

Ianto didn't respond. Jack said, "I'm really glad you told me. I just can't right now."

"No, I understand," Ianto murmured. He turned over, facing the dark, open room instead of Jack. "I could be good, though. I would do whatever you wanted."

"I know."

Ianto was silent. Jack was sandwiched between Ianto's warm back and the cold wall and he lay still. Jack couldn't tell when Ianto fell asleep, but suddenly, he was aware of it. An hour later, Jack was still awake, trying not to think.

When he woke up, his eyes were still heavy and his mind was cluttered. He didn't feel like he'd slept, and he wouldn't believe that he had if not for the fact that Ianto was gone. Jack got up, and saw that the spare suit he kept with Jack's clothes was missing. Ianto was probably washing up.

Jack climbed the ladder to his office, where he found a hot cup of coffee waiting for him on the desk. He smiled and raised it to his lips, feeling the heat against his nose. It spread straight down to his groin as he realized that this was Ianto's way of seducing him.

~~~

Less than a week later, Jack was gone, just like he'd been planning for over a hundred years.

The official story was that he came back after three months. Like all his lies, Jack liked to pretend it was the truth. Maybe someday he would even believe it.

Jack was in his office, looking through a pile of documents without really reading them. He would start on one, get a third of a way down the first page, and cast it aside for the next. After an hour, it was a lost cause.

Restless, he got up and walked out into the main part of the Hub, where the others were working. He spent a minute watching them. They looked professional, coordinated, and not at all desperate for his leadership. Jack took a deep breath.

"All right, guys," he shouted, "team meeting!"

He marched across the hub without waiting for a response, and ran up the steps to the boardroom, the metal clanging under his boots. He was halfway up when he saw the plants, and remembered that it wasn't the boardroom anymore. It was a hothouse. He kept forgetting that, and a lot of other things, only to remember them at times when he wanted show that he belonged there.

He paused on the steps and looked down. The others were standing there, looking up at him. He felt the blood rush to his head.

"Right," he said sharply. "Downstairs."

The team shuffled away, looking unimpressed.

Jack had been back for two days, and so much was different. Sometimes, it was hard for him to tell how much had actually changed, and how many details he'd forgotten over the past year. He didn't want to ask what was really new, because if he _had_ forgotten, that would take some explaining.

If he owed his team anything, it was the assurance that everything was fine. It would be too selfish and cheap to win back their loyalty with hints of the horror they missed and the penance he'd paid for leaving.

For now, there was business to get down to.

The new boardroom was nice. Jack couldn't complain. It was more secure, for one thing, and the new plasma screen mounted on the wall was much nicer than the old one. He took his seat at the head of the table, and the others took their places like nothing had changed. This was the first real meeting since he'd returned, and Jack was antsy to do something official.

"First of all, let me say that I'm glad to be back," Jack said, "and I'm glad to see you guys did a good job while I was gone."

The others didn't respond. Gwen and Tosh just looked at him. Ianto was stirring his coffee. Owen snorted, though maybe Jack imagined that.

Jack cleared his throat. "I've been going over some of the files and reports from my absence. It looks like things went pretty smoothly."

"And what if they hadn't?" Gwen asked.

Jack had no answer for that.

"Right," he said, trying to change the subject, "I was looking at some things and I noticed that a lot of artifacts haven't been filed properly. So I'd like to see that fixed." Then he added, "I'd like us to stay organized." He didn't know why he felt the need to explain himself.

"Actually," Ianto said, "we changed the system. I haven't gone through everything yet, but it should be fully organized by the end of the month."

Jack looked at him. "You changed the system?"

It was Tosh who spoke up, then. "We all know how it works. I was the one who suggested it might be updated. It hadn't been altered at all since 1970, and we've needed new subcategories in the archives for ages. Ianto's put a lot of work into it."

Oh. How could Jack argue with that? He cleared his throat and said, "I'll take a look at it, see how it works. It just would have been nice to be able to approve it."

"Yes, well," Ianto said, "Gwen approved it."

Oh.

He tried to think of something else to address, but he was still so behind on everything. It was hard to concentrate on the job, even though he wanted to. He kept thinking about things he would have preferred to forget.

Finally, he turned the meeting over to the team, and for a few minutes, nobody spoke. They looked down in their coffee cups or at their fingernails. Gwen broke the silence, talking about recent dealings with the police. That seemed to give the others permission, and Owen brought up the new Weevil repellent he was developing. Jack sat back, grateful that he could just listen.

When Jack finally dismissed them, the others were quick to leave. Ianto stayed behind and started to collect the coffee mugs. He wouldn't look at Jack, and his movements were uncharacteristically hurried as though he, too, was in a hurry to get out of there.

"I'd like to see Owen's reports on that Weevil repellent," Jack said.

Ianto ignored him, and Jack said, "Do you think you could get that for me?"

"Do you want it right now, or could I wait until I don't have five cups in my hands?"

Jack raised an eyebrow at him. "I was thinking whenever you have a moment. You know, as long as that moment is sometime today."

"I'll get it when I have a chance," Ianto said, coldly. The mugs clacked together violently in Ianto's hands. Jack thought he was going to chip one.

"Look, I know I'm not your favorite person right now—"

"We're working. It's not an issue."

"Then maybe we could cut this passive-aggressive bullshit."

Ianto paused.

Jack didn't expect much from him. He'd been either dismissive or sarcastic since Jack's return. Jack was willing to show his belly, but there were limits.

But Ianto didn't argue. He set the mugs back on the table and looked away. To Jack's surprise, he said, "I'm sorry." There was still some defiance in his tone, but also un-decorated sincerity.

Jack had been ready for an argument, but he felt the fight drain out of him. Instead, he nodded. "I understand."

Ianto closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. He wouldn't look at Jack. "I'd like us to try to move on."

"Well, I still want to take you to a movie, if you're up for it. Maybe not now, but soon?"

Ianto seemed to think about that. Finally, he said, "Okay."

~~~

Jack hadn't taken someone out on a movie date since 1947. He ended up choosing a romantic comedy, not because he thought Ianto would particularly enjoy it, but because the other options were horror movies and a kid's film about a talking dog. Ianto didn't say anything about Jack's selection, but he raised an eyebrow at it.

After the movie, they ate at an Italian restaurant. It was a warm night, and they sat at an outdoor table under a string of paper lanterns that bobbled in the breeze. Ianto ate with his eyes down on his plate and his shoulders hunched over like a shell, but sometimes he would look up at Jack or smile at one of his attempts at a joke.

Jack thought that would be it for the night, and he expected Ianto, who had driven, to take him straight back to the Hub once they got back to the car. He wouldn't have minded that, even if the lack of sex was starting to reach a point of desperation for him.

But instead, Ianto asked, "Do you want to call it a night, or do you want to come back to my place for coffee?"

Jack gaped at him. "Coffee would be great."

Mercifully, Ianto's flat was just like Jack remembered it. Jack even remembered how the closet door would stick. He yanked it open and hung up his coat while Ianto started on the coffee. Jack went in the living room to wait for him.

Ianto came back without his suit jacket or tie. He'd undone the top button of his shirt, and Jack could just see his Adam's apple and a few stray chest hairs beneath the folds of maroon fabric. He had two cups of coffee and handed one to Jack before settling into a chair.

For a minute, neither of them spoke. The coffee was too hot to drink, and Jack held his mug awkwardly, moving his fingers from time to time so the heat wouldn't hurt as much.

"I hope you've enjoyed yourself," Jack said.

"I have," Ianto said. "Not the movie I would have chosen, but it was…fun. It's been ages since I went to the cinema."

"I'm glad you liked it."

He looked up. "But you don't have to try so hard, Jack."

"Didn't realize I was," Jack said nonchalantly. He put his mug on the coffee table.

"I suppose I never saw you as the dinner and a movie type."

"Hey, there's a lot you don't know about me," Jack said, without thinking. He belatedly remembered just how true that was. Ianto didn't respond to the significance, though.

"Yes, well, I'm not really the dinner and a movie type, though I appreciate the gesture." Ianto leaned forward and added, "You don't have anything to prove."

That wasn't true. Not by a long shot. Jack had figured out a long time ago that he would always have to prove himself. Ianto was the only one who gave him permission not to.

Ianto got up and moved to the sofa with Jack. They weren't touching, but Ianto was close enough that Jack swore he could feel the warmth of Ianto's body. Jack took it as an invitation, and kissed him.

Ianto kissed him back. Jack tasted a desperation that almost matched his own, though he didn't trust his senses as much these days. Jack didn't plan to spend the night, even then. But when Ianto stood up and took his hand, he moved with him, half following and half pulling Ianto into the bedroom.

~~~

It was dawn when Jack got up and dressed, leaving Ianto sleeping in the bed. When Jack went to get his coat, he looked in the living room and saw the untouched coffee mugs still there. He closed the door silently behind himself and started the walk back to the Hub.

It was the first time since his return that something had gone right.

When Ianto came in to work later that morning, he didn't say anything. He was clean and buttoned up, looking nothing like the flushed man who, a few hours earlier, had muttered obscenities while coming down Jack's throat.

He smiled, though, and delivered Jack a cup of coffee. Maybe Jack was imagining it, but it tasted better than all the other cups he'd had recently.

Jack felt like something they'd both been waiting for had finally passed, and it wasn't nearly as difficult as he'd feared. Maybe they'd both just been waiting for it to happen.

~~~

Jack was in his office, trying to get through some last-minute work. He'd been out most of the day with Gwen and Owen, tracking an alien. The others had gone home, but he had to finish the paperwork that should have been done that morning.

Ianto hadn't gone home, though. Jack could see him out of the corner of his eye, just outside the office. The lights were too dim for him to make him out well, but he didn't seem to be working. Jack wondered how much of this paperwork could be put off a little longer. It wasn't like there was a deadline, but if tomorrow was busy, too, he'd end up even more behind. But still…

He was just deciding to take that risk when Ianto came in carrying a sheet of paper.

"If it's not urgent," Jack said, pointing at the paper, "it's gonna wait till morning."

"It's not work-related," Ianto said.

"In that case, what've you got?"

Ianto held the paper in one hand and put his other hand in his pocket. "Do you remember what I told you not long before you left? About being useful to you, I mean."

"Not something I could forget."

Ianto cleared his throat. "Yes, well, I wanted to tell you that I'm still interested." He came closer and looked Jack in the eye. "If you're not interested, I won't bring it up again. I just wanted you to know."

And there he'd thought Ianto didn't trust him anymore. He hadn't even considered that, after everything, Ianto might still want this. But here he was, offering it up like a second chance. Jack was suddenly aware of his heart pounding in his chest, so loud that he thought Ianto must be able to hear it.

Jack pointed at the paper. "So what's that?"

"Just some suggestions," Ianto said. "Things I would like to do for you."

Jack took it from him. Well, this explained what Ianto had been working on surreptitiously during his lunch break. He couldn't help but be impressed; Ianto really had given this some thought. Jack quickly scanned it.

"It could be a challenge, you know," Jack said, looking up from the paper. "I wouldn't blame you if you changed your mind. But we can talk about it."

Ianto looked disbelieving. "You're interested?"

"Let me put it this way—I'm done passing it up. So why don't you tell me what you want?"

"I want—" Ianto swallowed. "I want to be useful to you. Do things for you."

Jack nodded. "Right." He glanced down at the paper. "And it says here that you'd like me to be in charge."

"I do."

"What do you like about that? Being controlled? Not having to make decisions?"

"I don't know. Perhaps. I don't think it's that simple."

Jack leaned forward, putting his elbows on the desk. "You know I would never force anything on you, or hurt you. But if you want me to take charge, that means you do what I say. If you just want to play butler when it appeals to you, I'm fine with that, but that doesn't sound like what you're asking for."

Ianto shook his head. "I know that. It's not some…whim that I'm going to change my mind on. I want it."

"Have you done it before? Had someone in control of you?"

"Well, there were those times when you handcuffed me to the bed…"

"Right," Jack said. "So nothing too extreme. That's okay. Everyone's new at first. I'm just saying, what you're talking about, it's an adjustment." He could have sighed; he hoped Ianto wasn't going to jump into this too fast. He would have to watch how hard he pushed.

"But I know you wouldn't hurt me."

That was a big show of faith, all things considered.

"We could start slow," Jack mused, figuring out how it might work even as he articulated it. "Try a month on for size and see what happens."

"And after that?"

"We could decide then. Of course, it'd be fully negotiable. Any time you wanted to stop, we would."

Ianto leaned on the side of the desk. "And how much control would you have, exactly?"

Jack raised an eyebrow. "However much you let me have."

"Oh. Right. That makes sense, I suppose." Then he added, "I like rules. I like it when you tell me what to do. I don't want you to choose my clothes, though." He added the last bit hastily.

Jack smiled. "All right. Then you can choose your own clothes. As for rules, we can figure that out."

Ianto nodded slowly. "Well, I suppose so. We're really doing this?"

Jack touched Ianto's thigh. "Yeah. If you want to."

"I could stay tonight…"

Jack liked that idea. It had been a long time since he and Ianto had shared the night in the Hub together. But he shook his head.

"Why don't you go home and sleep on this?"

Ianto squeezed Jack's hand and stood up. He started for the door and stopped.

"One thing: don't worry about pushing me too hard. I can take this, sir."

After Ianto left, Jack read the paper, this time in depth. It was like a cross between reading porn and a business proposal. Ianto wanted to be his butler. He wanted to suck Jack's cock and be his property. It was enough to make Jack long to have kept Ianto with him tonight, despite his better judgment. He went back to the top and started reading the whole thing again, this time pulling his cock out of his trousers and stroking it.

Jack wanted it. During his absence, he had realized two important things: One, he belonged in Cardiff, with his team; two, he wanted Ianto. Ianto was offering himself to the greatest extent that he could, and Jack would take it. It was enough now for him accept that it was inevitable and necessary.

~~~

On the first day of their arrangement, Ianto came to Jack's office after the others had left, bearing a cup of coffee.

Frankly, Jack was tired. It had been a long day. But Ianto looked just eager enough that turning him away would be cruel. Jack didn't want to start the month off by telling Ianto to go home, and he didn't really want to be alone tonight.

Jack took the mug and said, "Thanks. Hey, do we still have those biscuits I like? Go look and bring them back if we do."

Ianto nodded. "I'll be right back."

Jack lounged back in his chair and enjoyed his coffee. He was logging onto his computer when Ianto returned with the package of biscuits. Jack smiled at him.

"Great. Bring 'em here."

When Ianto put the package on the desk next to Ianto's mug, Jack said, "I want you on your knees, beside my chair where I can reach you."

When Ianto obeyed, Jack reached down and ran a hand through his hair. Then, he turned his attention to the computer and the biscuits. Ianto squirmed a little during the first few minutes, but then he seemed to settle in comfortably. It wouldn't be practical to keep Ianto on his knees for too long, but he was fine for now.

After a little while, Jack said, "You're doing great." He grabbed a biscuit and pressed it against Ianto's lips. "Open up."

Instead of obeying, Ianto looked up and raised an eyebrow.

"C'mon, I know you love these. No you don't! Open up for me."

Ianto had started to raise a hand to take the biscuit, but he lowered it at Jack's admonishment. He rolled his eyes.

"I'm offering you a treat, here. It's in your best interest to be agreeable."

Keeping his eyes on Jack, Ianto slowly opened his mouth and let Jack slide the small biscuit inside. Jack watched in satisfaction as Ianto ate it, and then lowered his mug so Ianto could drink the little coffee that was left in the bottom.

Jack turned his attention back to the computer. After a few minutes, he felt something against his leg and looked down to see Ianto resting his head against his thigh.

Jack rubbed Ianto's hair. "I didn't say to fall asleep on me, did I?" he said softly. "I'm almost done, so we'll go to bed."

Ianto murmured appreciatively, but said, "I thought I was supposed to make myself useful."

"And I get to decide what's useful. Right now, I want someone I can pet while I'm on the computer."

Ianto seemed to accept that. Jack ran his hand through Ianto's hair and let him rest against his leg, his head warm against Jack's leg.

"I'll have some things for you to do tomorrow," Jack promised. "My boots got scuffed up today, so I'll have you polish them in the morning."

"Yes, sir."

~~~

The next evening, Jack led Ianto down to the autopsy bay. He had everything ready, down to the sheet draped over the metal table.

He watched Ianto's reaction, but Ianto simply looked around, taking everything in or maybe looking for whatever Jack had waiting for him.

"Take off your clothes," Jack said.

Ianto turned his gaze on Jack, and started to undo his tie. "Yes, sir."

Jack crossed his arms and watched Ianto undress. It had been a long day, and Ianto stifled a yawn now and then, but he still moved quickly. His skin was pale under the harsh fluorescent lights, and Jack could just make out the gooseflesh on his arms when he took off his shirt.

"You can put your clothes on the counter. Be neat."

Ianto nodded. He folded his shirt in half, lengthwise, shook it to make sure it was straight, and laid it on the nearest counter. He toed off his shoes and took off the rest of his clothes, folding them next to his shirt before turning to face Jack. He didn't seem to know where to put his hands. He crossed his arms, put his hands behind his back, and finally let his arms hang loose at his sides. Jack moved closer, and placed a hand on Ianto's chest.

"What are you feeling right now?"

"Wondering what you're planning."

"We'll get to that in a second. But I asked what you're feeling, not what you're thinking."

Under his hand, Jack could feel Ianto's chest expand as he took in deep breaths. "Bit strange, honestly," Ianto admitted. "Can't remember the last time I was naked somewhere other than the bedroom or the bathroom."

Jack chuckled. "Here's what we're going to do: you're going to sit on the table over there, and I'm going to give you an inspection."

"Inspection?"

"Yes. If you're going to give yourself to me, then I want to get a good look at you. Go on."

Jack had made sure to lower the table to a convenient height, and when Ianto sat down his feet just could just reach the floor. Jack approached and reached into his pocket, pulling out a measuring tape. He showed it to Ianto, and then gently took Ianto's cock in his free hand. It was already beginning to stiffen.

Jack clicked his tongue. "Already getting hard? Guess you're eager tonight. I'll have to take the erect measurement first. If I forget, remind me to take a soft measurement later."

Ianto hummed from deep in his throat.

Ianto wasn't quite hard enough, yet. Jack ran his hand down Ianto's shaft. Jack had to remind himself not to rush things. It was tempting, with his own cock stiffening, to push Ianto back and fuck him now. But that would ruin his plans. Ianto moaned when Jack rubbed a particularly sensitive spot, and Jack repeated the action, watching, satisfied, as Ianto gripped the table with white knuckles.

The cold temperature of the autopsy bay didn't seem to affect Ianto's arousal. Jack liked the cold. He liked the way the way it made gooseflesh rise on Ianto's skin, and he liked how it made the hair on his own arms stand on end. That afternoon, Jack had helped incinerate a body, and the heat on his face had taken him back to that boiler room and the chains. He had already decided that he wouldn't chain Ianto. He would tie him with ropes, maybe, but not chains.

But he wouldn't think about that now.

When Jack thought Ianto was as hard as he was going to get, he stopped, ignored Ianto's protesting groan, and unwound the measuring tape. He held it along the length of Ianto's cock, and Ianto looked down and watched. Jack spent a few moments adjusting it and, once satisfied, he made a small murmur of approval and jotted the measurement down on the piece of scrap paper he had on the counter.

He wanted to show that when he was in charge. Ianto's body was his.

Returning to the table, Jack put his hands on the inside of Ianto's thighs, nudging them apart. He took Ianto's balls in one hand and applied light pressure. Ianto started to squirm.

"Hey, hey," Jack said, lightening his grip, "steady."

"Sorry."

"Did it hurt?"

Ianto slowly shook his head. His eyes were focused on the floor and he looked embarrassed. "Not really. It was just…I'm sensitive there."

"Of course you are. And you have reflexes. But I don't want any fidgeting. Understand?"

Ianto looked up at him, meeting his eyes. "Yes, sir."

Jack continued. Moving his hands up Ianto's chest, he ran his fingers across the light fuzz in the middle and rubbed his thumbs across the nipples. He kept moving his hands until he reached the top of Ianto's head and ran his fingers through Ianto's hair, rubbing his scalp in circles until Ianto closed his eyes, relaxed.

Then Jack pulled back and said, "Get on your hands and knees."

Ianto opened his eyes and shivered. He pulled his legs up onto the table and turned over. Jack decided he would have to reward Ianto after this was done. He really was a good sport.

Jack reached for the lube and coated two of his fingers. He rested his clean hand on Ianto's back and slowly pushed one finger inside Ianto's ass. Ianto gasped.

"All right?"

"Yes, sir. Thank you."

"Bet I could make you come like this, with just a couple fingers. You wouldn't even need your cock touched." He added the other finger and thrust in and out, just to let Ianto feel it. He found Ianto's prostate and focused his attention on there. Ianto started to push back, fucking himself on Jack's fingers, and that was when Jack pulled them out. Ianto whined.

"You can sit up," Jack said.

Ianto looked puzzled at first as he obeyed the new order. His cheeks were pink and the tip of his cock glistened with pre-come. Then he smiled. "Did I pass inspection, sir?"

"You passed. In fact, I think you should get a reward. Is there anything you want to ask for?"

Ianto seemed to give that some thought. That was Ianto's style, Jack thought, to weigh it out carefully.

"Well, I was hoping to come tonight," Ianto said, finally. There was a hint of unspoken anticipation in his voice.

"To be honest, I was already planning on that. I have to take the second measurement, remember? I'll let you have an orgasm for that."

"Then maybe I could measure you," Ianto said, nodding at the measuring tape, "since we're doing me, and all."

That wasn't a bad idea. Jack was pretty sure he'd measured his own cock before, but that was no reason not to do it again. He was hard in his trousers, and he unzipped his fly and handed Ianto the measuring tape, moving closer so that Ianto could reach him from the table. Ianto gently pulled at his cock to line up the measuring tape.

"And you're sure this measuring tape is accurate?" Ianto asked.

Jack took back the measuring tape and looked down at Ianto. "Very accurate. What are you implying?"

Ianto raised his eyebrows. "Merely making sure. It looks off."

"It'll have to do, won't it? Maybe your ass is a better measuring device." He tapped Ianto's thigh. "Lie back for me."

Ianto lay back on the table, his legs still hanging off the side. He was still lubed from Jack's fingers, and all Jack needed to do was get himself ready. Ianto waited patiently, lifting his head to watch Jack stroke himself before resting his head on the thin sheet.

"You like getting fucked, don't you, Ianto?"

"Very much, sir."

"And you want to be useful to me. So I'm going to use your hole." Jack lifted Ianto's legs around his waist, holding them up and apart.

Ianto's body was relaxed, pliable, and completely Jack's. Ianto's warmth contrasted with sterile autopsy bay, and Ianto was exposed to him like a specimen. Ianto closed his eyes under the harsh lighting and clutched the edge of the table.

Ianto tightened his legs around Jack's waist. He writhed on the table and moved his head back and forth, making the sheet bunch up underneath him. Jack didn't try to slow Ianto's orgasm.

And then Ianto was still, with a white trail on his abdomen. His legs relaxed, and Jack had to hold them up while he finished. He stood still while he came, and dug his fingertips into Ianto's thighs.

Jack didn't remove himself from Ianto right away. He held Ianto's legs, which felt heavier now, and said, "What do you say, Ianto?"

Ianto didn't seem to understand, at first. Jack was about to give him a hint when he said, "Oh, thank you."

"Quick learner."

Jack pulled out and caught his breath. He waited, and once he was satisfied that Ianto's cock had shrunk back to its normal size, he unceremoniously took the second measurement. He repeated the routine on himself, as Ianto looked too tired and uninterested now.

Ianto pushed himself up while Jack wrote the numbers down. "Do you want me to do the cleaning up, sir?" he asked.

Jack paused to decide. Cleaning up was one of Ianto's duties, but Ianto's tired voice and drooping eyelids betrayed him.

"Not tonight. Clean yourself up and lie down. I'll be there in a minute."

Ianto smiled, looking grateful. "Thank you, sir."

Ianto pulled his clothes on loosely and left. Jack stayed behind, and started to clean up. It was just as well he sent Ianto off; he wasn't sure Ianto would do a thorough job right now, and Owen worked down here.

Jack had always done a lot of late-night work in the Hub. But it was different when he knew that Ianto was out of sight yet nearby. He didn't get as lost in his thoughts when he knew that Ianto was waiting for him somewhere.

Ianto was waiting when Jack climbed down the ladder. He was naked and clean, sitting on Jack's bed. His damp hair suggested that he had showered. Jack undressed quickly.

"I hope I did well," Ianto said. "I tried."

"You did great."

Ianto didn't argue, and Jack hoped he believed him. When Ianto wanted to do something, he always put a lot of effort into it, and Jack didn't think he was nearly as strict on Ianto as he was on himself. He wondered if that might be part of why Ianto wanted him to take charge—maybe it was a comfort to have someone else take the responsibility and impose the expectations. Maybe. Jack had long since realized that he couldn't know everything going inside Ianto's head.

~~~

Nobody was working, but it was a quiet afternoon and Jack wasn't going to make them find things to do. Instead, he leaned against the wall with his arms crossed and listened to Owen.

"So it took me five minutes to convince this lady to let me in her house," Owen said. "So much for fake IDs—I told her I was police and she still didn't want to let me in. Might as well have told her the truth. 'Sorry, ma'am, but it looks like you might have alien tech in your home.'"

Jack grinned, and Gwen said, "See? I said you should have me come with you. I had to deal with that a few times when I was with the police—you have to be polite but firm."

Ianto, who was in the corner they used as a kitchen, called out, "But that wouldn't have involved exciting conflicts."

Jack laughed. Owen ignored Ianto and continued with the story. Jack listened for another minute, decided he wanted a drink, and walked over to the small kitchen. There was a box of donuts on the counter, which Gwen had brought in a couple hours ago, and Ianto was eating one covered in chocolate sprinkles.

"What is that?" Jack asked. "Your third?"

"I'm hungry," Ianto said after swallowing a bite.

"It's not good for you. Besides, they're supposed to be for all of us."

"Owen would eat them all if he got the chance. And there are still fifteen left."

Jack looked in the box and saw that Ianto was right. Gwen probably didn't need to buy a full two dozen, though it had been considerate. He would have to tell her to write off the expense.

Jack opened the refrigerator to see if they still had any orange juice left (they didn't) and Ianto walked over, leaning close. When he spoke, he lowered his voice enough that it wouldn't carry.

"I finished a few items on the list during my break earlier," Ianto said. "But I wasn't able to do number five."

Jack's mind blanked for a second while he tried to remember what number five had been. He remembered everything he'd put on the list, but not the exact order. He thought it might have been to shine his boots, but no, because Ianto had done that in the morning before work.

Then he remembered. He'd told Ianto to pick up some more of his favorite biscuits.

"How come?" he asked.

"They were sold out. I had to get you some caramels, instead. They're in your desk drawer."

"Fair enough. We can wait on the biscuits."

Ianto smiled and walked off, pausing only to take another doughnut.

Breaks like these provided the only opportunities to speak personally during the day. No matter what he told Gwen, Jack didn't have any delusions about the possibility of a fully formed personal existence separate from Torchwood. A lot of times, he felt that Torchwood had become the entirety of who he was.

But he had to function as Ianto's boss when they were on duty, and he knew that Ianto liked keeping things clean, separate, and organized. He understood the importance of that, himself.

That was largely why Jack had introduced the to-do lists. He had come up with the idea a few days ago. It gave Ianto something to focus on, and Jack thought it made it easier on days when they were too tired at the end of the day to do anything more special.

Jack tried to keep the lists manageable. It wasn't as though Ianto had unlimited time to work on them, and Jack cared more about the purpose behind the exercise than he did about any of the particular tasks. He liked it when Ianto reported to tell him what he'd crossed off.

That evening, after the others went home, Jack grabbed his keys and sat at his desk to wait for Ianto. They'd been at this for a little more than a week, now, and Ianto would join Jack in his office every night after work. Ianto would kneel beside him until Jack told him to fetch something or to get between his legs and suck him off. But it had been fifteen minutes, and there was no sign of Ianto. Jack had plans for tonight, too.

Jack tried his headset. "Ianto? Where are you at?"

After a second, there was a reply.

"I'm, uh, in the tourist office. I'll be right there."

"I've been waiting for you."

"Oh, sorry, sir."

Ianto disengaged, and it was another few minutes before he showed up. When he saw that Jack had his keys in hand, he asked "Were you going out?"

"I was thinking we'd go back to your place tonight. There's nothing critical going on here. I would have liked not to be kept waiting, though."

Ianto's face reddened a little. "I'm sorry. I guess I lost track of what time it was. I was reading."

Jack stood up and sighed. "We've developed a bit of a routine here. I've come to expect you, and I don't like wondering where you are. I give you plenty of time, right? For your own stuff, I mean?"

"Wha--? Of course. Well, I suppose I don't have as much time for watching television, but that's all right. I have more fun with you, anyway."

Jack nodded. "In the future, if you want to deviate from our routine, talk to me, okay? It's not like I'm just sitting in here thinking of ways to keep you from doing your reading."

"Of course. I'm sorry. I really wasn't trying to be late. I forgot the time, honestly."

"I know," Jack said gently, "just something to think about. Now, I have a nice evening in planned, and we should get to your place. I was thinking we'd pick up some dinner on the way. What do you think? Know any good places?"

Ianto's expression relaxed while he considered the question.

"There's a Vietnamese place I go to sometimes. They have good food." Ianto took Jack's coat off the coat rack, and Jack turned around and let Ianto help him on with it.

"All right. Something healthy, though. You'll need it after all those doughnuts."

"Speak for yourself. You ate four of them."

Jack glared at him, but Ianto just smiled.

They stopped at the restaurant on the way to Ianto's flat, and Ianto chatted with the young woman at the register for a few minutes while they waited. Jack stood back and observed. Ianto made easy small talk with her, talking about the weather and other meaningless things in a familiar way. Jack saw very little of Ianto's life, all things considered. It was nice to get a taste of what Ianto's life was like when he wasn't in the Hub.

When they got back to Ianto's flat, Jack held the brown paper bags with their food while Ianto unlocked the door and turned on the lights.

"I was thinking," Ianto said as they unpacked the food on the table, "about giving you a key."

"To what? The flat?"

Ianto nodded. "It would make sense."

"Yeah…" Jack turned to face him. "About that. You work hard every day. And I know you love what we do, but I run you pretty ragged some nights. You should have some time every week to come home and relax."

"I have plenty of that."

"But what I'm saying is, I'll understand if you want this to be your space."

Ianto just smiled. "I don't. The key is yours, if you want it."

They put away their coats and went in the kitchen with the take-out bags. Jack unloaded the food while Ianto poured their drinks, and they sat down across from each other at the kitchen table.

Ianto was right—the food _was_ good. With a mouth half full of noodles, Jack said, "So, I was thinking about what we might do tonight."

"I thought about it, too. There was a boring stretch this afternoon once I got tired of hearing Owen talk. Had to stop thinking, though. My trousers were getting constrictive, if you get my meaning, and you haven't said what's allowed."

"I'm almost surprised you didn't take advantage of that."

"I can be more devious if you'd prefer."

Jack raised his eyebrows. "No, I wouldn't. I'm glad you brought it up, because I'd like you to ask my permission before you masturbate."

Until now, Jack hadn't seen much need to specify. Ianto was spending an increasing number of his nights at the Hub, and Jack didn't think he was sneaking off to wank.

"And as for tonight," Jack added, matter-of-factly, "I was thinking of spanking you."

Ianto stared at him. Whatever imaginary scenarios he'd dreamed up that afternoon apparently didn't involve spanking.

"I've never been spanked before," Ianto said, haltingly. "I'd like to try. It's just…I've never done it."

"That's okay," Jack said. He spooled the noodles around his fork, making a bite that would have been too large for a less intimate dinner. "I like being the first person to do things to you."

They finished their food, and Ianto cleared the plates. They sat together for a while longer afterward, finishing their drinks before Jack led Ianto to the bedroom.

Jack went over to the bed and turned on the lamp on the nightstand. He sat down on the bed and unbuttoned his shirt sleeves, rolling them up to his elbows. While he did it, he looked at Ianto, who was standing nervously in front of him.

"Is there a reason for the spanking?" Ianto asked.

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Does there need to be a reason?"

"Isn't a spanking usually given _for_ something?"

"This one's just because I want to." Jack chuckled. "Unless you want to be a naughty schoolgirl for me."

Ianto smirked. "I think I'd need a skirt for that."

"You'd look good in a skirt. But if you need a reason, think of this as discipline. It'll help you know your place. Discipline can be fun, too. But you need to strip before I do anything."

Slowly, Ianto started to undress. He put his shirt, socks, and boxers in the hamper before laying his suit on top of it. He faced Jack.

Jack nodded approvingly and patted his knee. "Lean over my lap."

Ianto walked forward and bent over. Jack wrapped an arm around his waist to help steady him and shifted his hips, allowing Ianto to rest his shoulders on the bed while his ass was raised up. He made sure Ianto got a chance to position himself comfortably, and then pinched one of Ianto's buttocks. Ianto squirmed.

"I'm going to start, now."

Ianto tensed, and Jack wished he hadn't warned him. Shaking his head, he raised his right hand and brought it down. It wasn't hard, but the slap echoed in the room. Ianto flinched, and Jack wrapped his arm more tightly around his waist before continuing.

Jack liked using his hand for a spanking—it was easy to control where he hit and how hard. He brought his hand down on Ianto's ass over and over, working until his hand ached and his arm began to tire.

Ianto remained still, aside from a little forgivable squirming. He let his elbows sink into the bed as he put his weight on them. His ears were pink, and he was breathing deeply. Jack paused and rubbed Ianto's hip.

"Okay?" Jack asked.

Ianto's voice cracked when he spoke. "Y-yes, sir."

Ianto's ass was red. Jack felt it, trying to decide how much more it (and Ianto) could take tonight. It wasn't the only thing Jack could feel—Ianto's cock was stiffening against Jack's leg. Jack worked his hand between Ianto's thighs. He hadn't known if Ianto would get hard from this or not, but he was glad he was. It didn't matter whether it was from the pain, the humiliation, or merely from having his naked groin pressed against Jack's leg. Jack's own erection pushed uncomfortably against the fly of his trousers.

"You know what I like about your body, Ianto? You get red very easily. You ever look at yourself in the mirror when you wanked off? To see what you look like when you come?"

Ianto inhaled deeply. "No."

Jack clicked his tongue. "Shame. You should. Your ears get pink, kinda like they are now. Your ass gets red easily, too. I haven't even spanked you that hard. Of course, you bruise easily, too. Not that that isn't fun sometimes—" he reached for the side of Ianto's neck, where he'd bitten and sucked the night before, "—but it's something to keep an eye on. Don't think you'll have any marks from this, though."

"I don't mind marks," Ianto said, softly. He kept his gaze on the pillow in front of him.

"If I ever decide to paddle you, you might have some." Jack ran his fingers down one of Ianto's buttocks. He shook his head. "You should really see yourself. Get up for a second."

He held Ianto's arm to help him up. Ianto's eyes glistened and his cheeks were as pink as his hard cock. Jack stood up and pushed Ianto over the bed, bending him over.

"Wait here."

Jack left the bedroom. He walked down the hall and into the bathroom, where he opened the drawers beneath the sink and pushed things aside, looking for something he'd seen there once, months ago. For a moment, he thought he wouldn't find it, and the thought of returning to Ianto empty-handed disappointed him. But then he saw it: a handheld mirror. The back and handle were cracked but the mirror was untarnished and clean. Jack brought it back to the bedroom.

Ianto turned his head when Jack came in. He saw what he was carrying and raised his eyebrows. "Jack…"

"Hush. And it's 'sir' right now."

"Sorry. Sir."

Jack held the mirror in front of Ianto's face. "Take it. I want you to look at yourself."

Ianto hesitated, but took the handle of the mirror in his hand. While he steadied it, Jack caught a glimpse of his Adam's apple reflected in the glass, bobbing as he swallowed.

Finally, Ianto's face filled up the mirror. Watching it, Jack pulled back his arm and slapped Ianto's ass hard. Now, he could see Ianto's reaction. His eyes widened and then fluttered, and his face moved closer to the mirror. His breath made a little circle of condensation on the glass.

He gave Ianto nine more, watching his face in the mirror the entire time.

Jack stood back and flexed his hand. He sat on the bed to take off his boots. Ianto put down the mirror and watched.

"C'mon," Jack said. "Sit here with me." He pulled his legs on the bed and spread them, making a place for Ianto to sit between his knees. Ianto crawled over, still holding the mirror. He winced when he sat down.

Jack took the mirror from him, and held it in front of Ianto's face. He wrapped the other arm around Ianto's chest.

"Start jerking yourself," Jack said, putting his mouth to Ianto's ear. "I want you to see what you look like when you come. I want you to see what I get to see."

For a moment, Ianto just sat there, looking dumbly in the mirror.

"Do it. It's the only way you'll get to have an orgasm tonight."

Slowly, Ianto started to work his hand up and down his cock. Jack kept his eyes on the mirror while he pressed his still-clothed groin against Ianto's tailbone, rubbing himself to a bigger erection.

After a couple minutes, Ianto said, "Sir…I'm, ugh. I'm going to come."

"Good. Good boy. Come in your hand. That's it, make your hand like a cup and come in it."

Ianto rested his head against Jack's. Jack adjusted the angle of the mirror, and he could just see his own face next to Ianto's. He watched the image in the mirror while Ianto came: Ianto's face, flushed and shameless, and his own, with its flared nostrils and parted lips.

He didn't break his gaze until Ianto closed his eyes. Slowly, he looked over Ianto's shoulder to see if he'd obeyed. One of Ianto's hands, the one he had wanked with, was resting on his thigh. The palm of his other hand was filled with a small pool of come.

"Clean up your mess," Jack said, softly.

In the mirror, Ianto opened his eyes and blinked. "Sir?"

"I want you to eat it."

Ianto shivered. For a second, it looked like he might protest, but he raised his hand to his mouth and licked it clean. When he finished, Jack kissed the back of his head and set the mirror down on the nightstand. Ianto got out from between Jack's legs and stretched out on his stomach.

"That wasn't too bad, was it?" Jack asked.

Ianto shook his head. "No, sir. I'm glad we did it."  
"I'm glad, too. Did it hurt?"

"Yes."

"Did you like it?"

Ianto took a long time to answer. Jack ran a hand through his hair and said, "You can be honest. I won't be upset."

"Pain has never appealed to me much. I enjoyed it, though."

"Well, pain can be different when you know you're okay. But the pain is only part of it. It's not even the most important part."

Ianto propped himself up on his arms. "Will we doing it again?"

Jack smiled. "Depends. Do you want to?"

Ianto nodded.

He was proud, now. He had done something completely new to Ianto, and Ianto had reacted very well to it. Very well, indeed.

"Good. You've done great. Almost done, and then we'll call it a night."

"Sir?"

Jack unzipped his trousers and pulled his erection out of his pants. He tugged on Ianto's hair, bringing his head close to it. Ianto got the message, and started to lick.

"Don't forget what your job is," Jack said. "You're lucky that seeing you get off is so pleasing to me, or I would have made you do this first."

In response, Ianto slid Jack's cock into his mouth. Jack closed his eyes and held Ianto's head until he came down his throat.

Jack could have fallen asleep like that, with Ianto's head in his lap, but he wanted to finish undressing. Ianto slowly got up, mumbling about going in the kitchen to get a drink. Jack settled into bed to wait and was nearly asleep when Ianto came back a few minutes later and climbed into bed.

Ianto climbed under the covers and pressed close, and Jack wrapped an arm around him. They lay like that until Ianto fell asleep. Only then did Jack roll onto his back and let himself sleep.

In the morning, there was a spare key sitting on the nightstand, next to his wrist strap.


	2. We Are Broken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ianto wants to be Jack's submissive. Jack is looking for some control. They commit to a month, and let it go from there. If only it were that simple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've written this for [](http://community.livejournal.com/kink_bigbang/profile)[**kink_bigbang**](http://community.livejournal.com/kink_bigbang/). Many thanks go to [](http://verasteine.livejournal.com/profile)[**verasteine**](http://verasteine.livejournal.com/) and [](http://kahtyasofia.livejournal.com/profile)[**kahtyasofia**](http://kahtyasofia.livejournal.com/), who were awesome betas. I'm not sure if I would have been able to finish this fic if not for their time, patience, and perceptive input. If the fic doesn't live up to their advice, it's due only to my own limitations. Also, huge thanks to [](http://deadflowers5.livejournal.com/profile)[**deadflowers5**](http://deadflowers5.livejournal.com/), who made all the artwork for the fic, which can be seen at my LJ.

  
  
  
**Entry tags:**|   
[fic](http://missdeanna.livejournal.com/tag/fic), [jack/ianto](http://missdeanna.livejournal.com/tag/jack/ianto), [kink](http://missdeanna.livejournal.com/tag/kink), [torchwood](http://missdeanna.livejournal.com/tag/torchwood)  
  
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"I really hate telekinetic aliens," Owen said. He was rummaging through one of the drawers in the autopsy bay. Metal instruments clanged together as he shoved them around.

Ianto, who was sitting on the table, said, "Stop complaining. You're not the one who got hit in the face."

Jack was leaning on the railing above, watching. _He_ had been knocked unconscious early in the confrontation, and he wasn't exactly pleased about that. He'd regained consciousness to the sight of Ianto standing over the alien, holding his stun gun in one hand, and covering his eye with the other. Owen was still favoring his left leg, and Gwen had escaped harm only by using a cardboard box as a shield.

Finally, Owen retrieved a small torch from the drawer and went back to Ianto. Jack watched him shine the light in Ianto's eye. After that, he held a finger in front of Ianto's gaze and made him follow it with his eyes as he moved it left to right. Ianto shifted irritably on the table and looked like he'd rather roll his eyes than follow Owen's finger one more time.

But before he could lose his patience, Owen stopped. He put the torch away and said, "You'll have a nasty black eye in the morning, but everything looks fine."

"So what?" Ianto asked. "Put some ice on it and call you if I go blind?"

"If you go blind, go to the A and E, not me."

Jack watched while Owen gave him a couple pills and a paper cup half filled with water. Ianto swallowed it all down, and got up stiffly and winced when his feet touched the floor. He took a sidelong glance at Owen, whose back was turned, and then looked up at Jack. It was clear he was in pain, no matter how nonchalant he was about it. Jack wasn't convinced that it was just his face that had been hit, either.

The worst part was that Jack was sure he should be able to do something about it. Or, better, he should have been able to prevent it in the first place.

The best thing he could do now was to let everyone off early at the first opportunity. Nobody seemed to be in a mood for work. Even Tosh, who had remained in the Hub that afternoon to direct the others, took off as soon as Jack gave her the chance.

Once everyone else (except for Ianto) had left, Jack sat on the sofa and put his feet up on the coffee table. He felt like he could go to sleep right there, but he knew if he did, he would wake up with a sore back and regret not dragging himself to bed.

Still, he had just started to drift off when he heard Ianto. He opened his eyes to see him sitting on the coffee table. He looked even more exhausted than Jack felt.

Jack sighed. "What a day, huh?"

"I don't know. I always thought getting a black eye would be something of a rite of passage."

Jack tried to laugh, but it sounded more like a cough. "Hmmm. I should drive you home."

"I'd rather stay here, if that's all right."

"You won't be as comfortable." Jack was a little glad Ianto wanted to stay, but he wanted to do what was best for Ianto.

"I'll be all right. I don't really want the drive right now." Ianto turned to Jack's feet and started unlacing his boots. He pulled them off, and set them on the floor.

"You don't need to do that."

"I want to." He picked up Jack's left foot, put it in his lap, and began to massage it. "You don't have to be too gentle with me, you know."

"Didn't realize I was."

"Sometimes you are. If I needed you to be, I'd tell you."

Jack shook his head. "No, you wouldn't."

Ianto shrugged. "I've never had to. Just let me take care of you. Sir."

Jack couldn't resist the offer. He closed his eyes, savoring the foot rub. He rested his head against the back of the sofa, and his hair brushed against the hard bricks. "You're too good to me," he said.

"It's my duty," Ianto replied, as though it were that simple. Maybe it was.

It felt a little like cheating to get what he needed like this, even though he hadn't ordered Ianto to do anything tonight. Dominance was a little like voodoo—it only worked if people believed in it. Jack usually believed, but sometimes he didn't, the same way he had flares of panic where he didn't really know who he _was_.

Ianto gently set Jack's foot down on the table, and picked up the other one, giving it the same treatment. His hands were warm and his fingers were firm as they pressed into aching spots and soothed the muscles. Jack murmured contentedly.

"I could live like this," he said.

"What?" Ianto asked, sounding amused. "Having me give you eternal foot massages?"

Jack laughed and put a hand over his eyes. "No. I mean, yeah, that'd be great. But just...down here."

"You already do."

~~~

By morning, Ianto did have a nasty black eye, and that wasn't the worst of it. They had the telekinetic alien in the vaults, and Jack had officially classified it as a Class B threat, which was a fancy way of saying, "Not apocalyptic, but still really dangerous."

The alien couldn't move large objects, but food trays, pens, and their clothes were fair game. Sedating it with gas pumped into the cell proved ineffective. Tosh was trying to figure out a way to block the telekinesis, and in the meantime, prisoners still had to be fed. Jack was tempted to explain that when UNIT called him for the third time one afternoon, asking after something that he hadn't even had time to look at.

Somehow, Jack had kept up making the to-do lists, though he hadn't had time to properly check up on any of them for a few days.

By the end of the week, Tosh was finishing a machine that she swore would create a protective force field against the telekinesis, and Jack let himself focus on other things.

He remembered the most recent list he'd given Ianto. There'd been three tasks: Re-sew a button that had come off Jack's coat, polish the dress shoes that he had to wear to a meeting tomorrow, and press some shirts. The button looked as good as new, and the shirts were hanging crisp and smooth in Jack's armoire. The shoes, however, hadn't been touched and the rest of the team had gone home over an hour ago. Jack went to find Ianto.

It was only on the way upstairs that Jack realized that Ianto should have come to his office after the others left, too. Jack had been so distracted with getting ready for the meeting that he hadn't noticed.

Ianto was in the tourist office. He was reading a magazine and looked up when Jack came in through the secret door. His eye was still bruised, though he'd said the pain was mostly gone.

"Hey," Jack said. "You keeping busy?"

"A bit. Before Owen left, I had to help him sedate our guest in the cells so we could feed everyone down there. Took a bit of exertion. The Weevils would have revolted if we had waited any longer."

"Tosh thinks she can set up some sort of force field that will block the telekinetic energy. She said she'll come in and finish it tomorrow. I have to ask, though. When were you going to do my shoes?"

Ianto tensed and looked away. "The day isn't over yet. I still have time."

Jack walked around to the front of the desk, looking Ianto up and down as he did so. He raised an eyebrow. "But it's getting late, and you've had time. Do you not want to do it?"

Ianto rolled his eyes. "Don't be ridiculous. I've been busy. I do have a life and a job, you know."

"You had plenty of time for the other two tasks I gave you." Jack saw Ianto's shoulders stiffen. He always tightened his body when he got defensive. Before Ianto could respond, he said, "Look, I'm not upset if you're busy, or if you need a break. But what did I tell you to do if you couldn't complete something for me?"

Ianto swallowed. "Talk to you."

"That's right. Otherwise, I expect these things to be done. I only started requesting this because that's what you wanted."

Ianto sighed. "Look, we've all been stressed. I didn't know your shoes were so important to you."

"You don't have to be sarcastic."

"I'm not, Jack. I mean it. You've never said that any of the tasks on those lists were important. You've never said there'd be any consequences if I didn't complete them when you wanted, either. You don't usually care if I wait until late to do things. I would have made sure you had them in time for your meeting, if that's what you're worried about."

Jack didn't answer right away. He wanted to argue, but it wasn't like Ianto was wrong. He didn't think he was wrong, either. He'd never put any firm rules in place, but then, that hadn't seemed necessary. It had worked great up until now, hadn't it?

Jack sighed. "I am stressed, you're right. Why don't we go back to your place, huh? Call it an early night?"

"All right," Ianto said, softly, as he got up.

They drove to Ianto's flat in silence. When they arrived, Ianto went straight to the kitchen and got a can of lager from the refrigerator. He sat down on the sofa without looking at Jack and opened the can.

Jack looked at him. "What is _up_ with you tonight?"

Ianto didn't respond. He just took an angry sip of his drink.

Jack paced over to Ianto's bookshelf and started to fiddle with a Rubik's cube he kept there.

"This is what I was talking about. About it being difficult. This is what happens when you want duties and rules: you get called on it when you don't follow them. If you can't deal with that…"

Ianto laughed. It sounded sad and a little manic. "What rules, Jack? You gave me a list, with no further instructions. How is it my problem if you change your mind about how you want things, or if you don't tell me at all? God…so I'm not allowed to disagree with you? Complain at all?"

Jack walked over to the window and looked past his own reflection to the street below. He didn't want to look at Ianto. He'd thought they were doing all right. He'd thought, somehow, that this would make things good between them again—that it would create security and make them happy, everything Jack had longed for and promised himself while he was away.

Ianto continued. "I wouldn't care if you got upset with me if I didn't have to guess at what you expected. Hell, punish me if you want. I'd just prefer a chance to get it right."

Jack turned to him. "So what, then? Do you want to be punished? Were you trying to see how much it'd take to piss me off?"

"Well, it's not like you tell me."

Jack turned away. He had been so sure he'd been doing everything right. He started for the door. "I'm going out. We shouldn't be together tonight."

He paused with his hand on the doorknob when he heard Ianto say, "So you're leaving now. That's perfect."

That almost made him stop. Almost. Jack opened the door and stepped out, letting it close behind him. He marched down the hall towards the lift, already thinking about where he'd go. There was a seventy-percent chance of rain tonight, but he thought he'd go to one of his favorite old buildings where he could go up to the roof unbothered. He wanted solitude.

Ianto, he supposed, would think things through.

Jack made it to the lift and jabbed the button with his thumb. He waited anxiously, and hoped it would come before Ianto would decide to follow him. If this were a movie, like one of the films Jack had enjoyed back in the '40s, that was what would happen.

But it wasn't a movie and that wasn't going to happen. Ianto had too much pride. He would let Jack go.

Jack was just about to take the stairs when the bell dinged and the lift doors finally opened. He was about to step inside when doubt crept into his mind. He'd made promises to Ianto. He'd promised to make sure his needs were met, and to be in charge. And now he was walking away. He wasn't sure he had that luxury with Ianto, any more than he had it when aliens attacked or the world was ending.

Maybe it would be better to step into the lift and leave, giving them both space to breathe tonight. But he wasn't sure if Ianto would trust him again if he did.

He turned around, strode back to Ianto's door, and hesitantly tried the handle. If it had been locked, he had his key, though he wasn't sure if he would have used it or not. But it didn't matter. The door swung open.

Ianto was sitting where Jack had left him, the can of lager still in his hand. Jack approached him slowly, his urgency gone, until he was in front of Ianto. He leaned against the wall. Neither of them spoke at first.

"If you'd like me to go, I will," Jack said.

Ianto shrugged. "I don't know," he said. His voice caught when he said it. He looked down at the carpet.

"Then I'll stick around for a bit, if that's okay."

Ianto didn't respond, and Jack continued. "If you wanna cool things down for a bit, I understand."

"We only have a week left," Ianto said softly. "I don't want to stop early. I don't want to stop."

Jack smiled. "You always were stubborn."

"I am, yes. I don't want to talk about this tonight."

"Yeah, we'd probably make a bigger mess of it."

"We need to talk, though." Ianto set the can down on the coffee table and crossed his arms across his chest. "I would like you to stay."

Jack moved closer, sitting on the arm of a chair. "Then I will."

~~~

In the morning, Jack washed up in Ianto's bathroom. He'd slept in his clothes, and he pushed his shirt down into his trousers, trying in vain to smooth out the wrinkles. He didn't have a spare set of clothes in the flat, so he would have to stop by the Hub at some point to shower and change. He bent over the sink to wash his face.

He was patting his face dry when Ianto came into the doorway of the bathroom, wearing his boxers and a t-shirt.

"Hi," Ianto said. His voice was subdued and he looked tired, but he smiled.

Jack smiled back. "Good morning."

"When do you have to leave?"

"Not for a while. We've got time."

"For what?"

Jack raised his eyebrows. "You tell me, Ianto."

Ianto leaned against the doorframe, his shoulder brushing against the peeling paint. He didn't answer right away--actually, he looked a little lost.

"Look," Jack said, "maybe we haven't been as clear as we should be. So, I'm listening."

Ianto took a deep breath. "I don't know what you want," Ianto said. "It just feels like I've missed the memo sometimes. It's okay if you're demanding. I can take that."

"Okay. I can try to make things clearer. But I haven't been firmer with you because I haven't thought you needed it. I don't know, maybe I was wrong."

Jack stepped forward and put a hand on Ianto's shoulder. "But one thing: you're doing great. If there's a problem, it's not you, okay?"

"You know," Ianto said, his voice careful, "I understand that something happened when you were gone. I don't need to know about it. I don't need to know why you need this. You don't need to know why I need it. That's all right. I just want to do this."

"So do I."

Ianto closed his eyes.

"So," Jack asked, "that mean you're still game?"

Ianto nodded, and Jack rubbed his shoulders.

"Do you think you have enough food on hand here for today?" Jack asked.

Ianto looked taken aback. "Sure, I went shopping a couple days ago. Why?"

Jack held him by the shoulders and steered him backwards into the hall.

"I want you to take off your clothes, and I want you to keep them off until tonight, when I get back from London. I don't want you to get dressed or leave this flat unless it's necessary. Will you do that?"

Ianto licked his lips. "All right. May I ask why, sir?"

"Because I want it. I don't need a reason to want to see your body. Actually, I'd like you to be naked when we're here together." He thought about extending this rule to their nights in the Hub, but thought about waiting on that. He preferred to stop the CCTV cameras when he planned to have Ianto naked.

Ianto blinked. "Yes, sir."

"Good. Now, when I get back, I'll ask if you obeyed me. I won't be mad if say you couldn't, but I'll expect a good reason."

Ianto nodded, and Jack reached out and cupped his neck, pulling his head close. He kissed him.

He stepped back and waited. It took a few seconds for Ianto to act, but he took off his t-shirt and boxers, letting them fall to the floor before bending down to pick them up.

Jack let Ianto put his clothes away. He went into the kitchen to find them something for breakfast, and finally found some cereal.

When Ianto came back, Jack watched him. He could just detect the hesitance in Ianto's movements as he seemed to figure out how to go about his routine in the nude. He didn't balk, though, and after a few minutes of fidgeting on the wooden chair, he appeared to relax and focus on his cereal.

Jack would have liked to stay all day. But he said goodbye while Ianto rinsed the bowls in the sink. He took one last look at Ianto's arse and left.

~~~

Jack never complained about being invited to meet with UNIT because, well, at least UNIT cared a little about keeping him in the loop. But it was a lot of preparation and driving in order to sit in a cramped conference room and be told about things he'd already managed to find out.

When he got back to Ianto's flat, and lights were dimmed. Jack shed his coat and tracked Ianto to the bedroom. He was on the bed, naked except for the paperback book that was fanned open on his chest. His eyes were closed and his cock was resting against his thigh. Jack watched the gentle rise and fall of Ianto's chest. It was something he always noticed.

Ianto smiled softly. "I know you're there," he murmured.

"Hey, thought you were asleep."

Ianto opened his eyes. "Just for a minute." He closed his book and set it on the nightstand.

"Did you do what I said?"

"Yes, sir."

Jack rubbed Ianto's thigh. "That's good. I'm glad to hear that. Do you know what I'd like to do now?"

Ianto stretched. The blanket was twisted underneath him. "I was hoping you'd want to fuck me."

Jack grinned and opened the nightstand drawer, where Ianto kept the lube. Ianto turned over onto his hands and knees. He arched his back and spread his legs so that when Jack stepped back, he could see Ianto's hole and his dangling cock and balls. He was obscenely exposed, like a present for Jack's pleasure.

"That's beautiful," Jack said, his voice low. He set the bottle of lube on the bed and started to undo his belt.

"One thing before I fuck you. I'm going to whip your ass with my belt."

Ianto breathed in sharply and Jack could feel the blood going down to his own cock. He pulled his belt free and doubled it.

"This will hurt," he warned him. "Even if you really want it, it will hurt and it can be hard to stay still."

"I can do it, sir." Ianto sounded so proud and certain, and Jack knew that he probably could do it.

Jack walked around to the side of the bed. The mattress springs creaked under his knee when he leaned forward. He nudged Ianto's thighs closer together and put one hand above his buttocks.

The first time the leather cracked against his skin, Ianto gasped. He stayed still.

"You're only getting six," Jack murmured. "That was one."

Ianto's ears were pink and his cock was pointing at his chin. After each stroke of the belt, Jack paused while Ianto tried not to squirm away. After the sixth stroke, Jack tossed the belt on the floor. The metal buckle thudded against the carpet.

"Good," Jack said. He climbed on the bed behind Ianto to inspect him. His ass was red, and he thought he could see a couple fresh welts. He leaned down and kissed one of them.

"I could have taken more," Ianto said, almost in a whisper.

"You probably could," Jack admitted. "But I want to fuck you, not whip you all night. Now spread your legs again."

Jack unfastened his fly and pushed his trousers and pants down to his knees. He ran one hand down Ianto's hip and stroked his own cock with the other. Ianto turned his head and tried to look over his shoulder.

"Don't," Jack said. "Keep your head down. Lift your ass up for me."

Ianto dropped his shoulders down to the mattress and lifted his hips higher. Jack murmured with approval and squirted some of the lube onto his finger. He slipped it into Ianto's hole. Ianto breathed in deeply, and Jack shuddered. He added another finger.

"I could do this to you all night," Jack said. But even as he said it, he stopped. He quickly coated his cock with lube and held onto Ianto's hips before pushing inside him.

"That's good," he murmured. "You're so good. You can touch your cock if you'd like. But don't come."

Ianto whimpered.

If Jack had wanted, he could have thrust slowly, drawing this out for as long as he wanted. But he was so close, and he could tell Ianto was, too. And Ianto didn't have much experience with delaying his orgasms yet.

A few more thrusts and Jack came, muscles tensing while he pressed against and inside Ianto's warm body. He pulled out and back, and looked at Ianto, whose knees were quivering.

"On your back," Jack said. His own voice sounded breathy to his ears.

Ianto lay back, just barely wincing when his ass touched the bed. The red tip of his cock glistened with pre-come, and his hands twitched nearby, as though eager to touch it.

"I'll wank you off. You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

Ianto looked him in the eye. "Yes, sir."

Jack straddled Ianto's legs and wrapped his hand around his cock. Ianto pushed his head back in the pillow and moaned. It only took a few strokes to bring him off.

For a moment, they looked at each other, both breathing heavily. Jack nodded at the white streak on Ianto's belly.

"Eat your come, now."

Ianto raised an eyebrow. "You really enjoy having me do that?"

"I do, yeah. What's the deal? You always swallow _my_ come."

"Come tastes fine to me. It's just strange when it's mine." He ran his finger down his abdomen, though, and then sucked on it, keeping eye contact with Jack as he did so.

"I've been thinking," Ianto said, after he swallowed, "about collars."

Jack hoisted his trousers up and sat next to Ianto. He started to play with Ianto's chest hair. "Collars, huh? You want to get one?"

Ianto's cheeks started to flush. "As long as it's comfortable."

"Right, a comfortable collar. That would be doable." Jack rested back against the pillows and looked up at the mottled ceiling plaster. "There are lots of kinds of collars. We could get you pretty much anything. If you were going to wear it all the time, then we'd have to look for something you can wear under your shirt." He paused. "Would you like that?"

Ianto put his head against Jack's shoulder. "I know it's cliched. But I want to always know."

~~~

Jack was used to Ianto joining him in his office at night, but this was the first time that Ianto made it there first. Jack had been downstairs, checking on the Weevils. Now that Tosh's machine was up and running, and it was safe to go down in the vaults again, he felt like he should make up for lost time. Janet still looked neglected.

Jack came upstairs and found Ianto in his office. He was sitting on a stepstool, polishing a pair of Jack's shoes.

Ianto looked up when he came in. "I'm almost done, sir."

"Great. No hurry."

Jack sat down at his desk and checked his e-mail. After a few minutes, Ianto stood up. He set the shoes aside on a piece of newspaper and put everything else away. He left the office, and came back a minute later carrying a kneeling pad. It was the sort that gardeners used, and it was painted bright yellow with pastel flowers that reminded Jack of the prints that were popular in the 60s.

"What is that?" Jack asked when he saw it.

"I found it in one of the storage rooms. I think it was Susie's. The floor's a bit hard on my knees."

"Ianto Jones—always practical. But you know I'll keep you down there longer if you're more comfortable."

Ianto smiled. "All the better for us both, then."

Ianto put it on the floor by Jack's chair and knelt down. Jack admired his ingenuity. This would not only allow Ianto to stay on his knees longer, but it would give him less excuse to fidget, too. He rubbed Ianto's hair appreciatively.

Jack opened his e-mails while Ianto settled in. He didn't focus on them for long, though. He looked down at Ianto.

"You know, we agreed on a month. This is the last day. Tomorrow, you could be a free man and no one could say you didn't give it a fair chance."

"Lucky for you I don't want to be free."

He had expected that, but it was still nice to hear it, and he needed the confirmation before they could do anything more. He opened one of the desk drawers. "Close your eyes. I have something for you."

Jack waited until he could see Ianto obey before pulling out the box. He set it on the desk and then reached down to unknot Ianto's tie. He coiled the silk tie neatly on his desk, and unbuttoned the first few buttons of Ianto's shirt. He felt Ianto swallow against his fingers.

"You can open your eyes."

Jack held the collar in front of Ianto's face. It was lightweight metal, thin and loose enough that he could wear it under anything. There was a small tag, which he'd had engraved with "CJH."

Ianto's eyes brightened at the sight of it. Jack let him admire it for a moment before reaching down to clasp it around his neck. Ianto touched it gingerly, as though the chain might break.

"Do you like it?"

"It's very nice. Thank you, sir."

Jack was still figuring out exactly what Ianto needed, but he understood that this was part of it. Ianto appreciated tradition and structure. The collar didn't change anything, really, and he would have felt just as much in charge without Ianto wearing it, but it was tangible symbolism, just like the folded lists Ianto kept in his pockets and the black stains of shoe polish on his fingers.

Jack pushed his chair back and unzipped his fly. Ianto moved between his legs, flowered kneeling pad and all, and tugged and the elastic of Jack's briefs with clumsy fingers.

Jack leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. The only sounds were the hum of the computer fan and Myfanwy squawking in her nest. He felt Ianto's mouth, warm and wet around his cock, and the chain around Ianto's neck lightly brushed his balls.

And he was home.


End file.
